Pipe cleaning machine



INVENTOR iv; ATTORNEY y 1932- w. A. FRANK PIPE CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25. 1950 Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED: STATES "PAT NT OFFICE,

WILLIAM A. FRANK, or HAoKENsAcK, new JERSEY, 'ASSIGNOR r NATIOI TAL WATER MAIN CLEANING 00., OF NEW YORK, N, Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE rIrE CLEANING MACHINE Application filed February 25, 1930. Serial No. 431,087.

the interior surface of a pipeand permit the '10 removed incrustations and "other foreign matter to accumulate in front of "01' ahead 7 of the machine with a result that the travel of the latter is materially, obstructed and the machine itself islifted to the upper portion of the pipe.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the purpose of the present invention to afford means embodied in the construction of thecleaning machine whereby the matter being removed is caught inthe whirling head of water traversing the main and held in suspension so as not to interfere with the proper travel and uniform cleaning action by the machine. Y

device hereinafter described in the specification, set'forthin appended claims and'illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a substantially longitudinal sectional View taken through the clean-ing machine disposed with-V head of water whichis diverted in the ma as a center. is todrlvethe machine forward causing the a I accomplish this purpose by means oflthe;

chine itself to cause a rotary; movement as well as a longitudinal movement thereof. 5

The cleanmgmachine is constructed in .two sections,the'leading section A and the trailing section B; 'The leading section A corn prises a tubular portionll having its forward end flared outwardly and provided with curved vanes 12 to cause the machine torotate about its axis and-that of the pipe The action of the head of water latter to rotate slowly. The vanes 12 are in- 'tegral with thewall of theflared portion of the tube 11 and are provided with a cover -13 of conicalshape and integralabout its outer periphery or base with a guide cone 14 which is truncated on a plane parallel with the base. The cover 13'is held in place :by means of nut 15 seated against the inner surface of the apex of the cone. The nut The opposite endof the cable 17 whichextends axially through both sectionsA' and B,

is projected through a tubular casing l8and .is'turned upon itself to form a loop 19 and maintained in position by a clamp 'block 20.

The block 20 slides axiallyin the tubular casing 18 which is closedat its'forward .endto provide a seat forrone endofaspringfl l, the opposite. end thereof abutting the block 20., The spring 2 1 is housed'in the casing 18 and tends not only tomaintain the cover 13 in position over the 'bladesor vanes 12, but itlikewise holds the two sections Av and B in line by means of an articulated coupling 22 through whichthe cable passes between the two sections. p The tubular casingll provided with leakage holes 23-spaced from each other circum ferentiallyof the casing and capable of being closedby a sleeve valve 24; slidably mounted in guide blocks 25 on the interiorfaceof the casing. Theadjustmentof the sleeve valve against the surface of the pipe.

24 with respect to the holes 23 determine the amount of water allowed to leak through the forward blades of the machine.

The spring casing 18 is externally threaded to receive a threaded collar 28, which turns against a spider connection 27 at the trailin end of the second section B, and which is ad] ustable over the casing to alter the position of the latter and consequently to change the tension of the spring 21. The casing is further provided with a spline or keyseat 26 into which a key or projection of the spider connect-ion 27 is arranged to prevent turning thereof when the collar is turned.

Both sections A and B are made up of a plurality of scraper heads 29 which are annular members, each thereof being spaced longitudinally of the other and provided with an inwardly directed flange 30 having openings i ,31 through which tie rods '82 project.

The heads 29 are held in spacedrelation by means of spacing sleeves 33 arranged over the rods 32 between the flanges 30.}The ends of the rods 32 are threaded and pass through openings in annular plates 23% forming parts of the articulated coupling 22 and at their ends receive nut-s 35 which when tightened down, bind the whole structure together. The lateral portion or flange of each head 29 is provided with a series of slots and openings 36 which accommodate a series of spring steelscrapers 87, each of the latter comprising a curved member, one arm of which is attached to the lateral flange by having its extreme end bent at right angles and inserted in a slot 36 to preventsidetwisting, a screw'being arranged 1n the arm forward of the end and inserted into the hole or opening 36 in line with the said slot, and which projects rear- Wardly, while the other arm is directed outwardly in yielding contactwith-the surface of the pipe. The scraper heads 29 are arranged so that scrapers of adjacent heads are staggered and the free ends of the scrapers 37 are flared as illustratively exemplified in Figures 2 and 3. 1

The first section A is the rotor, and' disposed about the periphery of the tubular portion 11 between the last pair of scraper heads 29 is a ring 38 mounted on the tie rods 32. The ring 38 carries a channel ring 39 having the open side arranged against the ring 38, the outer side wall of the channel being shorter than the inner side wall so as to leave an annular slot entirely around the arrangement. Into this slot the angular ends of steel fingers 40are inserted and attached, while the mid portions of the fingers are curved outwardly and inwardly to brush The fingers are directed towards the rear of the machine and their free ends are turned'jback upon themselves toengage over the outer edgeof a rubber coil 41 resting against the inner surfaces of the fingers as illustratively exemplifleeting plate 12, the latter becomes a rigid part of the trailing section B so that the water under pressure directed in the direction of the plate will be deflected outwardly and around the end head 29. I

In'operation, the water flows through the tubular casing 11 and outwardly through the channels formed by the curved blades or vanes 12 and cover 13. The entire machine is made to rotate slowly by the action of the head of watcr against the vanes-12 and forced or pushed ahead by the pressure of the water against'the soft piston ring 40. The matter scraped from the sides of the pipe is picked up in the whirling water and kept in constant suspension while being carried onwardly from in front of the machine. I In order to prevent independent rotation of either'the front or rearsections, I provide means in the form of a projection 18 attached at one end to a leg of the end plate 3 1, the opposite free end of the projection being projected into the space between adjacent legs of the end plate 34: of the leading section A.

Having now described my invention what I claimand desire to secure'by'Letters Patent, is i 7 1. In a pipe cleaner, the combination of a sectional rotor having scraping elements arranged peripherally thereof, the leading section comprising a tubular shell terminating in a forward flared end provided with curved vanes against which a head of water is directed to rotate the sectional rotor and set up a whirling action of the water in advance of the cleaner, a cover for the vanes, and yielding means from the cover to the rearward end of the trailing section to hold the sections in line and the cover in place. 7

2. Apipe cleaner,as claimed in claim 1, in which the tubular shell is provided .with spaced circumferentially disposed openings, and a sleevevalve adjustably arranged over said openings to govern the amount of leakage water passing through said openings.

3. Aqpipe cleaner, as claimed in claim 1, in which the yielding means connectingthe sections comprises a cable disposed axially of a loop and slidable longitudinally of the cas ing, a spring under tension disposed'between the clamp and the leading end of the casing.

4. Apipe cleaner, as claimed in claim 1, in which the yieldable means connecting thesecg tions comprises a cable disposed axially of the sections, means for engaging one end of the cable to the cover so as to draw the cover towards the vanes, a tubular casing through which the other end of the cable projects, a clamp holding the latter end of the cable in a loop and sliding longitudinally of the easing, a spring under tension disposed between the clamp and the leading end of the casing to adjust the tension on said spring anda collar screwed over' said spring casing, and means forming a seat for the collar and in laterally directed and provided with slots and holes, and a series of spring steel scraper fingers mounted on the lateral flanges in the slots and holes thereof and provided with v means governing the amount of leakage 7 Water passing through the cleaner.-

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM AD OLF: FRANK; 7

having means to prevent rotation of the casing when the collar is adjusted to alter the tension of said spring.

5. A pipe cleaner, as claimed in claim 1, in

which the bandsof scrapers are spaced longitudinally of the sections, the scrapers projecting rearwardly and then radiallyv to engage the inner surface of the pipe being cleaned. I

6. A pipe cleaner, as claimed in claim 1, in

which the bands of scrapers are spaced longitudinally of the sections, the scraper projecting rearwardly and then radially to V scrape against the inner surface of the pipe being cleaned, and a yielding piston ring band carried bythe said shell of the first section and comprising a series of juxtaposed spring fingers projecting rearwardly in a curve to brush the inner surface of the pipe.

7. 'A pipe cleaner, as claimed in claim 1, in which the bands of scrapers are spaced longitudinally of the sections, the scraper projecting rearwardly and then radially to scrape against the inner surface of the pipe being cleaned, and a yielding piston ring bandcarried by the said shell of the-first section and comprising a series of juxtaposed springfingers projecting rearwardly in a curve to brush the inner surface of the pipe, and a cuff placed in the concave channel formed by the surfaces of the spring fingers to hold the water directed against it. 7

8. A pipe cleaner, as claimed in claim 1, in

- which the cover comprises a conically shaped wall, the apex thereof receiving one end of the yielding connecting means and the base having a flange in the form of a truncated cone to guide the cleaner at its leading end.

9. A pipecleaner, as claimed in claim 1, including spaced rows of scraper heads supporting said scrapers and arranged along the sections, spacing members for holding the heads in spaced relation and tie rods projecting through aid heads and rods to connect them to the section.

10. A pipe cleaner, comprising a rotary section, annularheads of angle metal, one flange thereof being radially disposed and connected to the section, the other flange be- 

